Struggle through delicate moves on tiny holds past two bolts. Continue up easier ground (watch for rotten rock) to anchors.

Water in Motion

Lichen to Lose It

Stan's Crack

Inside Moves

Sunset Boulevard

Bill's Route

Slip Stream

The Womb

Lefthand Crack

One-Ten

Broemel's Route

Ghost Dancers

Broken Arrow

Mineral Fright

Infidel Zombies

The Diamond

Peace and Tranquility

Jams and Shams

Fool's Gold

The Cobb

Another Fallen Angel

Fault Line

Toothpick

Prisoners of Zenda

Stitch in Time

Stone Harvest

Flute Loops

S'More

Friday the Thirteenth

Copperhead

Stan's Crack Direct Finish

Moccasin Bend

Crazy Eights

The Grand Cave

Hit the Slopers

Whiz Bang

Cornerstone

The Drainpipe

More Fun with Dick and Jane

In the Corner

Jennifer's World

Test Tube

Jungle Gym

Horribilus Maximus

Jefferson Airplane

Alpha Omega

Beginner's Route

Thin Pockets

Tantrum

Bubble Bath

Scare Voyager

Righthand Crack

Harassic Park (aka Devil Dog)

Scream Wall

Nuclear Blue

Banshee

Caught Red-handed

Flagstone

Terrier in Trouble

The Prow

Euphoria

R.J. Gold

Rusty's Crack

Golden Ledges

Total Eclipse

The Arena

A Sense of Adventure

Heavy Hands

Ambidextrous

Spring Break

Towers Chimney

Scream Wall Direct

Space Ranger

A wonderfully-misnamed route, since most beginners will probably not find chimney climbing particularly easy.  The Dixie Cragger's Atlas lists this at 5.5, but most leaders find it a grade or two harder.  Excellent protection and a good opportunity for practicing chimney technique make Beginner's Route a fun lead. 

  Starting below the obvious V-shaped chimney, make a bouldering move into the slot and work your way up to a slight overhang.  Transition out of the chimney and up a crack to a slabby finish.

Juggy face, to very bouldery bulge with mediocre gear. Balance your way up slabby lichen field with good gear way below you.    Highly suggest a TR cleaning before trying this one on lead.

This route follows a great handcrack in a left-facing corner for about 65-70 feet to a spacious belay ledge, at which point there is an obvious off-width (direct finish 9+) to the left or easier terrain to the right -- the original route goes right following mellow terrain to the anchors. I found the route to be sustained at the grade with no particular crux. The face holds are plentiful, so the rests come easy as does protection. 

  Though it's officially a two-pitch route, Stan's Crack can easily be done in one pitch without serious rope drag issues.

This is a really fun route for aspiring offwidth climbers. The greatest part about this route is you don't need anything larger than a #4! Start to the right of Golden Ledges and find the obvious offwidth/chimney system. Fire straight up the chimney finding good pro on your way up in staggered pods and cracks. The crux of this problem is at the very top when the offwidth gets pretty tight.

Climb a flake to a ledge, move up to a roof, hustle in some gear and pop over the lip. Face climb to the prominent Hueco, fire over this on the right and end at 2 SS ring bolts.

This route begins just left of Jefferson Airplane. Follow the left-leaning crack to the prominent roof. Negotiate this (crux) and climb the steep corner and face to a two-bolt anchor.

A devious climb with a tough start, Slip Stream is a true sandbag for its 5.6 rating in the DCA.  Excellent protection makes up for committing moves in some sections, especially down low.  This is NOT a good choice for a beginning leader. 

  Start at a crack in a right-facing corner.  Move up and left to a left-facing corner, then continue up to mantel onto a slopy ledge.  Continue up the face, passing the Bubble Bath anchors on your right, to finish at anchors at the top of the cliff.

This starts in the obvious curved chimney directly to the left of the main overlook pillar. Heads into the gully on the right after getting out of the chimney. There is an optional belay at the top of the chimney on natural anchors that you may consider to minimize rope drag. The crux is at a bulge half up the gully. Luckily there is bomber pro at the crux. 

  The gully, especially the crux is likely dirty and/or wet. This route could use some cleaning.

There are a few ways to begin this route, all of which lead to a very large ledge about 20' off the deck. Climb up another 10' or so until you hit a small roof. From here, you have the choice to begin climbing up the left crack or the right crack.  For the left crack, head left straddling a bulge that runs the length of the left crack.  Not sure on the crux, possibly the last few moves just below the anchor.

One-Ten is an excellent choice for a new trad leader.  The climbing is easy and gear placements are plentiful.  Be sure to protect appropriately for the ledges you'll find along the way.  Also a good toprope for beginners just getting on the rock. 

  Start at a low blocky wall below a left-facing dihedral.  Continue up the dihedral then up and left past small roofs and generous ledges.  The section near the top is a little thin and a direct finish provides a nice challenge if the earlier part of the climb was just too easy.

Broemel's is yet another nice choice from among a high concentration of quality routes in a small section of Sunset North (others include RJ Gold and Jefferson Airplane).  The climbing is sustained and stiff for the grade, like so many other Sunset routes, but protection is plentiful. 

  Broemel's Route has a somewhat awkward roofy start on what the Dixie Cragger politely calls "suspect rock."  This leads into a shallow flaring dihedral with a nice hand crack, followed by face climbing and a roof or two, then a headwall finale similar to Bill's Route.  As with the other routes in this area, take a moment to relax and enjoy the view of the valley before you lower/rap.

With balancey moves in places and a stiff finish, Ghost Dancers makes a nice lead for the 5.8 leader ready to push herself/himself. 

  Starting under a thin crack, climb on thin, hard-to-protect face holds to a stance where you can get in some pro.  Continue up the crack to an overhang, then move slightly right to pull the overhang via a handcrack (crux) and up to the top. 

  For a somewhat easier-to-protect start, climb up to a flake system under flaring cracks a few feet right of the regular start, then tiptoe left to the regular route's crack.

Broken Arrow is a dynamite climb, stiff for the grade.  It's well-protected, the rock is great and there's nice variety along the way.  With relatively few opportunities for rest stances, this physically demanding route will test your stamina. 

  Starting in a left-facing open-book corner, stem/jam/layback your way up to a roof.  Moving right out from under the roof, climb a steep ramp up and right to a ledge, then straight up to anchors at the top. 

  NOTE:  There is an alternate start (5.9) and several alternate finishes; see the Dixie Cragger for details.

As long as RJ Gold is in here, I might as well add this one.  The relevant information from me is that Loweballs, which I don't ordinarily find myself carrying for free climbs, work great in the crux bottom section.  I was actually able to boulder up, stick in the red one (medium-sized), return to the ground, and bounce-test it like you do when climbing on aid gear.  It held.  I sent.  Not that bad.  Enjoy! 

  Easier than the Crack-A-Go-Go, if that tells you anything.

Overlooked and adventurous long climb with a bit of everything that deserves to be more popular.

 Climb a left-facing dihedral working right at the roof and pulling around the corner onto the face.  Route find your way up the face by angling right following protection and finding good holds under the lichen. Small to mid-sized gear will be your friend from black alien through #1. Gain intermediate ledge at 3/4 height with smallish tree and single cord as rap station.   Bypass this on the left and continue up the face into arcing hand crack and upper headwall with a few surprise pockets for gear.  Top-out on flat rock, build an anchor creatively using whatever gear you have left and slinging shrubs and tree.  Bring your partner up and walk off the back side.

All the guidebooks have this one at 5.7. Beginner leaders will be sorely disappointed! We felt this was harder than its neighbor, More Fun with Dick and Jane. 

  Weasel your way up the crack for 20 feet or so to a ledge. Clamber onto the ledge alongside a blob of rock. The top section of the blob is completely detached, so tread lightly. 

  Be sure to get protection in at the ledge, as the final section of climbing is completely unprotectable. Swing out left onto the face above the ledge, and boulder your way up to the tree atop the next ledge.

Climb this blocky corner, staying in the middle and left of the line. The top is definitely the tricky part, where topping out means finding a secret hold that will make you praise heaven!  

  Once you top out, there is a large, nice ledge to walk around on, with the tree anchor about 20' to the left of the top out. Extend your draws to reduce drag! It can be a nightmare if you don't. Apparently you can continue further up to a higher top out, but I personally haven't. 

  I think that this route would be much better and worth while if it had bolted anchors more in line with the climb, instead of having to traverse over.

Climb the crux right off the ground via a good hand crack for 10' or so. Gain a large ledge and move left to climb 5.7 terrain to a right facing corner with good holds to the left of the pro. Some 5.8ish moves lead off the arete of the corner and over a small roof. Bring a double length sling to hitch a big horn and finish it off.

Roof finger crack above RJ Gold. Very difficult finger locks, especially at the lip of this beautiful, but short, west facing overhang. Try not to break your right 5th metacarpal when u release the legs at the lip! 

"Climb a wide crack to a ledge, then left up an abrasive chimney.  Traverse left, then on to the top."  -DCA 

  A dirty and sandbagged 5.4 route that is probably best avoided.  Instead, walk 50 feet and climb One-Ten.

From DCA:   Climb a steep face and pull a roof

Grungy face to a beautiful layback crack. You've probably walked past it and didn't even notice the crack because of the scruffy start.

Climb Stan's Crack for about 10 feet, balance your way to the right until you are below a thin crack.  Fingerlock and crimp your way to a rest.  Pumpy climbing on slopers leads to the top.

Climb a thin face with "adequate" protection to a pair of V slots up high.  Brilliant Sunset style climbing on an exposed orange face will leave you huffing, puffing and smiling.  Climb atop a large boulder/block at the base, hand traverse out left and then fire it to the top.  There is really good rest up there if you can just get your... well I'll let you figure it out for yourself.

Pull up into the low corner then up a moderate face to the roof. Pull the roof on a good layback/hand jam and then rest. Look up and left and follow the clean streak. Edges lead to a small crimp crux that is hard to static for those under 5.10. Cut loose for the positive hold if you dare and jog to the top. A good, long route.

A climb worthy of your time. I have no doubt this has been climbed before, it is an obvious splitter on the wall. I haven't checked DCA but ChattTrad didn't have any information surprisingly. It has been a while, and though I've tried to clean it up a good bit, it will take some more traffic to be really solid. Lace up your mocs and get ready to fight the pump throughout this lightning strike of a route. The start of this climb might be harder than it looks. Get passed the off hands section and jaunt up to a good rest stance. Move up the finger crack and then bust out left until you can follow the crack again. Finish on some cool plate jugs and then clip the chains. One small helping of power from the harvest of stone. Now go use your new found strength to face Space Ranger or explore Jennifer's World. A real hidden gem at Sunset. 

Thin face and crack will get you to the overhang. Make a reach to a hidden hold at the lip and blast through fun moves. trend left to the anchors.

Climb the crack in the right-facing corner to the weird, giant roof/flake thing. Go around the right side of this, then head for anchors in the corner at the top.

Face climb up to a series of roofs.  Work left and up through the series of roofs until you pull the last.  Continue up a crack to the anchors.

Copperhead is short and off the beaten track (literally), but it's a worthy challenge.  Like many routes at Sunset, it's a stiff one for the grade. 

  From the left end of the ledge, start at a dirty but easy sloping crack that moves up and left to a ledge.  Move right to climb a short and tricky vertical crack -- it's well-protected, but too shallow for jams.  After the crack, move up the face on sparse and reachy holds to finish with a mantel topout.

Stan's Crack Direct follows the off-width near the top of Stan's Crack proper. This variation is highly recommended. Climb Stan's Crack to the base of the offwidth/flake approximately 30 feet below the top, jam and stem your way to the bolted anchors.

Really fun route!

 Climb a nice handcrack to a two-foot wide ledge. Make some thoughtful and committing moves up to a left-leaning crack. Climb the thin crack to a bulge. Surpass this bulge on the right side, slightly below and to the right of a tree. Sling the tree and rap, or climb to the top via Tower's Chimney-ish. I stayed in the chimney until I made it to a left-facing corner about 15 feet from the top. Sling a tree at the very top. Bask in the amazing topout and view!

 NOTE: Robinson guidebook has it mixed free/aid at 5.10+ A2 and 60 feet long, which would have it stopping at a tree on the ledge. I aided the route proper clean at C2+, and chose my own adventure for the remaining 50 feet. I passed my middle mark about 20 feet from the top, but accounting for my anchor at the bottom, I probably only climbed about 10 feet past, on a 60m rope---hence, route length of 110 feet.

Climb the steep face on pockets and tiny ledges.

A 5.9 in the book, with some tough 5.10+ moves, makes this a . . . well, you decide.  Sustained and burly. 

  Climb one of two cracks to a sizeable overhang.  Muscle through this and follow a crack a short way to a small cave (optional belay).  From the cave, move left and climb past bulges to the top.

In the Broken Arrow corner, a crack goes up the left wall about 8 feet out from the corner. Follow the thin crack up the wall to the roof, then move out left and up through a higher overhang at a weakness. Finish up and left on easier ground to a big tree at the top of the cliff.

nary repeated 5.7 that's worth the romp

 pitch 1: stem up a v-shape notch and pull a fun roof

 pitch 2: traverse left, up some lichen, past a bush, into a crack, and onto a ledge.

 believe it or not, the first pitch might be longer than the first.

This might be my favorite pitch at Sunset, and I really like Sunset.  True arete climbing, heel hooks and technical footwork included, but on gear.  Good gear at that.  Start in a small left facing corner, traverse a sloping rail to the left and then venture up the thin finger-crack/arete.  Something extra special awaits the at the top, a little taste of the FA I would imagine.

Undercling or use large fist jams to follow a long 4-inch wide roof crack till you meet a small cave. Fire up the corner and follow Lost Arrow Chimney to the top.

Layback and smear up the flake getting good gear as you go, transition into the crack and move up to a good rest on a ledge above. Steel your nerves, get yo' mind right and slip and slide up the slopers and edges until you reach a final slopey rail with poor feet...now, figure out how to let go and clip the rings at the same time...

"Takes a steep crack system, then finishes up a corner a tricky exit." -DCA 

  Route is dirty, not climbed often, and should probably just be avoided.  Guidebook says the finish is "tricky," which on lead means "do not fall here," as there is little to no protection for the last 15-20 ft of this climb and a fall here would not be pretty.

There are three variations for the top half of the climb, the J.W. original goes far right next to the offwidth at 11a and ends at chains.  There are two other variations that are more difficult and runout that go straight up or slightly left of the original finish.

Awkward fat crack (crux) to a very easy roof to a lichen covered crack. This would be a 2 or 3 star route if it got traffic to clean up the top.

Climb an off-width jam crack in left facing dihedral, continue through moss and lichen to tree anchor.

Start up powerful corner just right of Broemel's Route, balance your way up the arching crack to a thin mantle. Finish up Bill's Route.

This classic three star route follows the arete to the left of R.J. Gold.  Start from the same ledge in a narrow alcove, next to a tree.  Climb left facing flake to a small roof/overlap (crux).  Make quick moves and continue up arch/crack to the anchors above.

Start in the same crack system as S'more. At the first roof head up the left crack into a slot. Climb though this slot which leads to a second awkward slot, squeeze though the second slot into the final tight dihedral section, excellent finger jams take you to the ring anchors.

If you like crimpy, hard-to-protect face climbing, this excellent moderate will fill the bill.  A strategically-placed bolt makes the necessary runout a little less intimidating. 

  Climb the steep face using the namesake "thin pockets" to a bolt midway up; if you want to get in some protection before the bolt, move up and right to a flake then back left to the bolt.  Continue up to an overhang where you can finally place some pro, then move left to a crack in the overhang and follow it to the top.

One helluva roof boulder problem. 

  Very easy terrain leads to a ledge. Traverse to the roof crack, and get aggro on the moves out and around the lip. Tiptoe up moderate, lichen-covered terrain to the top.

This is an excellent 5.9 with lots of variety:  thin crack climbing, face moves and a roof to pull. 

  Pull finger pockets to reach a thin vertical crack.  Follow the crack to a shallow roof with great pro; pull the roof on juggy holds and then follow a short right-facing corner to face climbing that leads to the top.

Easy climbing (and a bit dirty) leads to a body length roof with a flake.  Yard out this and decipher moves over the roof to a stance.  Calm yourself.  Pumpy face climbing and a thin seam are all that separates you from clipping those bolts at the top - no "scary" top out required.  Enjoy!

There are a few ways to begin this route, all of which lead to a very large ledge about 20' off the deck.  Climb up another 10' or so until you hit a small roof.  From here, you have the choice to begin climbing up the leftcrack or the rightcrack.  If you decide the rightcrack, the move that positions you over the small roof and into the main crack is the crux.  Once in the main crack, layback and head to the top!

Climb the left-facing flake, then navigate your way up to the offwidth/flare. Puzzle your way through this and then continue up the steep face on positive holds, past a short section of right-facing flake to the top.

Boulder up the thin, delicate start to good holds.  Use a spotter and skip trying to get gear in on the tiny holds.  Climb the crack, then step right to a dihedral working your way to the top. 

  "Hey, how did you get up here?"

Walked all the way down to Bubble Bath? Get off the trail a little bit and try this thing out.  

  Seemed to have a distinct crux mainly because you need to navigate the tree leaning against the route. Follow a hand and finger crack to the top.

Negotiate difficult slab climbing to mid-height pod, place .75BD, take a deep breath, make a difficult slab mantle into easier terrain. Continue through easy no-fall climbing and top out.

Cool route that begins in a recess. Start on the right wall of the recess. Get some cams in a couple of good horizontals, then get some thin gear (blue ball nut fits well) in a horizontal before clipping a rusty bolt up and to the right. reach high and right to clip another rusty bolt, before heading right out the roof. Get some good, reachy gear, and follow a C1 crack up to a small recess. Make a move and clip a nice stainless steel bolt. Move past an old rusted bolt sleeve (talon/bat hook this; actually pretty solid, as even though the placement is shallow, you are hooking on a metal thread of the sleeve), and reach for a nice cam. Trend left through white overhangs, aiming for a right-facing corner. Mantle onto a ledge at the corner, and carefully walk right for 10 feet to a set of stainless steel bolt anchors (anchors for the route The Great White Fright).

Note 1: It may be possible to skip the bolts near the beginning with some delicate hooking and sketchy gear, and massive ground fall potential. I tried this, and started breaking flakes with every hook, until backing off and deciding to clip the bolt. Even if you could skip the bolts, the hooking would not be sustainable for more than 1-2 ascents, so it is probably best for the rock to just clip the bolts.

Note 2: The guidebook mentions fixed pins in the white overhanging section. There were no fixed pins when I climbed the route. The only fixed gear were the two rusty bolts at the beginning, and the stainless steel bolt above the small recess (well, and the rusted bolt sleeve, if you want to consider that as fixed gear). Nevertheless, everything goes on decent, albeit reachy, clean gear.

This route is located below the main lookout area and can be led or easily toproped. The beautiful face is extemely striking and starts at double thin cracks and moves into a right facing corner (crux #1). Placing pieces in these double crack seems like it would cause extreme rope drag. Pro it just under the roof and punch it on good but pumpy holds. Move into the obvious layback flake and then to the upper bolted face (crux #2)

Cool finger-crack climbing, Terrier would be worthy of three stars if it wasn't so short.  That being said, it's great fun and worth a visit. 

  Starting in a shallow dihedral, climb the nice crack until it peters out.  Follow the easy low-angle face to the top.

-Climb on the Arete to the left of Rusty's Crack. This includes big throws and a lock off to a blind hold(5.11+). Crawl up onto the ledge. Here you can build a belay(for 2 pitches)or bring long runners for one super pitch (much cooler).    -From the ledge climb up and left to jugs. Make a big move(5.11-) then start working your way back right all the way to the exposed prow. Top out at the prow. Bolted Anchor.

Pull the tricky boulder problem beginning with a large left handed slot jug and then continue up straight up through perfect crimps appearing at regular intervals. Ends at the rings right of rusty's crack's anchor. 

R.J. is a great introduction to the grade with good gear and a variety of different types of climbing from fingers, hands, a roof and some slab moves. 

  Starting about 20' left of a detached pinnacle, follow a thin crack up and right to a hand crack.  When the hand crack ends, angle up and left to a roof, then move up onto a slabby face protected by a single bolt.  Continue up the face to the anchors.

This route begins in an obvious flared chimney. Climb the chimney and work out a large roof via the splitter 4" crack. Pull the roof and jam the crack until it ends at a ledge. From the ledge climb the steep and exposed face to a set of ring anchors.

Climb up through some slightly broken rock and a roof crack. Follow a finger crack to gain a large ledge. Optional stop for a 1st pitch. 5.9+ ~50 feet. 

  Angle slightly left towards ledge systems along the line of least resistance. You'll arrive at a small (read: very small) ledge where you can now contemplate the crux guarding the bolted anchors. If you have read the Dixie Cragger guidebook and are expecting a fixed pin at the crux - there isn't one. 5.11- ~50 feet 

  This climb seems to rarely get traffic, and understandably so... Though the climbing is pretty good, it's heady as the Chat Trad guidebook points out. Expect a fair amount of lichen and spider webs.

When yer standing under Flagstone, look at the left side.  See that black roof?  There's a crack running through it.  This is Total Eclipse.

Motor out a short series of tiered roofs off the ground to a good stance/rest.  Layback/jam the finger crack using the arete to the left to reach a horn.  Rest.  Crimp up to a short dihedral, then wander up the face to the anchors.

Lots of variety on this climb:  chimney moves, a roof to pull and tricky face climbing.  Not a routine 5.9. 

  Starting at an obvious chimney, climb up to where the chimney turns into a left-facing corner just below a small roof.  Grunt through the roof to a nice ledge, where you can rest and take stock of the thin, bulgey section to come.  Finesse past the bulge and continue past a tree ledge to the anchors.

Slightly less ferocious than it looks, Heavy Hands is a short but worthwhile route with about 20' of intense 5.8 climbing, then it quickly mellows out.  Great protection takes some of the edge off the opening moves. 

  Climb to a medium roof split by a hand-sized crack just off the ground.  Boulder through the roof on good jugs, then follow the crack past a couple of small pine trees to the top.

Crank out the small roof and right facing corner. Move up and left the face, plugging some small gear and then running it out for a while (ground fall potential?). Stay more or less straight up from the initial right facing corner.  

  Be careful, this route doesn't seem to see much traffic and the black film over the rock can be a little slippery (probably even more so if damp).

This route is way more fun (and better protected) than it appears to be from the ground. Interesting moves take you up the flaring crack. Continue to follow the rounded arete to the top. If anchoring on Water in Motion, you can either hand traverse left across the top of the wall (not recommended for the second) or traverse a little bit lower along a slight ledge system.

Among the earliest ascents at Sunset. Hard to imagine the jump from this to Rusty's in three years time. Climb a fun, old school chimney 5 ft left of Stan's Crack.

Bouldery start with no pro. You may want a spotter on this one. Climb up to the finger/thin hand crack and move staight up and then to the left. Finish out on sloppy holds to the anchors

A southern style trad route quintessential to the aspiring hardman/woman's ticklist. Comitting, safe, and with hard slab and steep roof in one pitch. 

  This route climbs like multiple stacked boulder problems separated by good rests. Begin up the white face protecting with .3-.75 sized pieces. The initial section is deceptively pumpy, so don't underestimate the bottom 40'. This technical crux ends when you grab the huge ledge, or else log some huge flight time for missing it. Rest, then make some cool lock off moves until you find the huge jug over the roof. Summon your courage and cut feet in what could be the most exposed move at Sunset! Once you reestablish, fight the pump through steep southern jug climbing and top out the huge ledge at the top of the wall.  

  Classic.

Home of some of the earliest routes at Sunset.  Classics include Bill's Route (5.8),

Rusty's Crack (5.10a/b) and Jefferson Airplane (5.10a).

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Sunset North